Assessment

Children’s progress and future learning requirements are assessed through observations and discussion. Observations of children help the staff to assess the progress which children are making. They help to plan the next stage of learning and development for each child.

Observations are important because they help us to:

Get to know children well and develop good relationships with children and their parents.

Plan appropriate play and learning experiences based on the children’s interests and needs, and identify any concerns about a child’s development.

Develop further understanding of individual children’s development. Assessment and observations should accept that the rate and pace of learning in young children is irregular and is interrelated.

Berkeley Gardens Day Nursery has systems of recording the development of children throughout the nursery.We use an online Learning Journey programme called Tapestry, to record the children’s learning and development.

Staff are always happy to discuss these records with parents at any time. We welcome parents comments to help us build a really good picture of each child’s individual interests and needs.
We use lots of evidence to support our records including observations, photographs, products the children have made or drawn and information from parents, to build a portfolio of each child’s progress and development. This helps to guide everyday planning.

We review the evidence we have collected for each child and do a summary of their achievements. We share this with parents. The statements are a summary of the seven areas of learning. These are updated regularly and evidence is collected on a daily basis. They are a record for you to keep when your child leaves the Nursery.

About

Berkeley Gardens Day Nursery is the second Nursery to follow from Forbury Gardens. It opened in July 2011, and is located in Reading. We received a 5 star rating from Reading Borough Council for food safety and a silver award from Chiltern Training Ltd for continuous support for our staff training towards their Diplomas in Professional Childcare.

We will provide a high standard of healthy meals using quality ingredients. Your child will receive a two course lunch and snacks which are prepared by our cook, Tina, using fresh ingredients. We aim to introduce the children to different tastes and textures whilst encouraging good manners and a happy atmosphere when we sit down for meal times.

The health and safety of all the children are of fundamental importance. We aim to provide a secure and pleasant environment for everyone. We practice a whole range of safety policies and procedures. Your child is allocated a ‘Key Person’ within their room, who is responsible for your child’s well being, ensuring your child feels individual, secure and cherished while they are away from home.